Page 106 - A Hand Book of Arabia Vol 2_Neat

SOUTH-\Vr''TERN ROUTES (Nos. 40-66) 55

Asir.
there is no difficulty about supplies of water at any point in
The villagers are, for the most part, friendly to strangers passing
through on pilgrimage.

(ii) Routes in Yemen

Of those from the coast to the Central Highlands, the road from
Hodeidah to San‘a (Route No. 55) is by far the most important, in
the present political state of Yemen. It is the only made road of
any considerable length in Arabia. It divides itself roughly into
a desert and a mountainous section ; in the former, across the
Tihamah, there is often very heavy going, and the latter involves
difficult and trying ascents and descents. In 1913 the state of the
road was reported to be ‘ bad on the mountain ’ stages and ‘ indiffer­
ent everywhere ’, but the revetments and culverts were generally in
good order. The Turks have often marched large forces and
transported guns (including heavy howitzers) over this road, e.g.
in 1911. It can only be used for ordinary wheeled traffic on the
last stage between Bo‘an and San‘a, where even motors could pass.
The mails are usually carried by mules. There is a telegraph, with
offices at most of the principal stages.
Supplies. Water is plentiful and good throughout, but in the
desert stages some of the wells are brackish. Other supplies, such
as fodder and grain, are plentiful and readily procurable.

The only other road from the coast sufficiently in use to be worth
description is that from Mocha to Ta‘izz (Route No. 56). At
Ta‘izz it joins the longitudinal road along the axis of the Highlands^
which is described under Route No. 62. Two-thirds of it lie across
the flat and sterile Tihamah plain ; the remainder is a difficult
ascent to Ta'izz, but practicable for transport animals. The
road crosses and recrosses the Mocha-Ta‘izz telegraph line all the
way.
Supplies. Water is sufficient at all seasons. After rain it is
abundant beyond the first stage, but even then the mountain
torrents become lost in the Tihamah, and but little water reaches
the coast. Fodder is very limited in the first stage, but plentiful
thereafter. Small quantities of foodstuffs (cereals and vegetables,
cattle, sheep and goats, milk and eggs, and some poultry) are
obtainable when the mountains are reached.

A track from Hodeidah to Mocha (Route No. 57) joins up the
starting-points of the two routes j ust described. It is, however, little